The Search for Major Plagge

page 62-63
Over the summer the Esterowicz an !erstein families suffere their first casualties" M#
granmother$s %eautiful sister& 'achil (holem& lost her hus%an& )ermasha (holem& who
ha just escape eportation %# the *+,-" .e was ta/en uring the first wee/ of 0ul#
to Ponar# when the !ermans eliminate 311 of the 0ewish %usiness leaers of ,ilna"
page 22
-uring the first wee/ of jul# 3243& 311 communit# leaers an over 511 #oung men were
thus capture an /ille"
page 46-42
7father8 9t too/ him 31 a#s to get %ac/ hom to his parents$ apartment: he arrive irt#&
hungr#& an tire on 0ul# ;"
Even though he ha onl# %een gone two wee/s& m# father foun that life for the 0ews of
,ilna ha alrea# change ramaticall#""""Two a#s after his return& he ecie to get a
haircut at the neigh%orhoo %ar%ershop" <s he wal/e in the street& he saw a !erman
arm# jeep riving towar him" """Moments later a !erman officer came inot the shop&
=)Tou> (ome with me>= he #elle& an haule m# father out an put him in the jeep"
The# then proceee own the street& pic/ing up several other #oung 0ewish men as
the# went" The# were ta/en to St ?ernar$s Pa/& where several hunre #oung 0ewish
men waite uner guar" Then !ermans tol them that the# woul spen the night in
the par/ an then %e ta/en to clear ru%%le in Moloeczno& a near%# town amage in the
recent fighting" This soune plausi%le& as there ha %een much estruciton %oth in ,iln
an the surrouning towns uring the rapi !erman attac/" M# father an th other 0ews
spen a @uiet night in the par/ uner loose guar" .e is sure the# coul have slippe
awa# uring the night& %ut no one felt an# urgenc# to run awa#" 9n the morning a convo#
of canvas covere truc/s arrive an the #oung 0ews file into them& 31 to a truc/"
.owever& their journe# i not ta/e them to Moloeczno& %ut rather to the near%# forest
of Ponar#"
Ahen the covers over the %ac/ of the truc/ were thrown open& m# father an th other
0ews loo/e own the %arrels of two machine guns manne %# Bithuanian police" =*o
one is to move or spea/& if an#one iso%e#s the machine guns will open fire&= the# were
tol" ?ehin the machine guns was a large opne grave& with man# %oies in it" Cner
the irection of a !erman officer& the Bithuanians too/ the 0ews out of the truc/ one %#
one& wal/e them up to the grave& an shot them in the %ac/ of the hea" The
remaining 0ewish teenagers an men watche in shoc/e silence" Staring at the
machine guns& the# are not spea/ or move" The# coul not %elieve what was
happening" Soon an arme Bithuanian in civilian clothes gra%%e m# father %# the arm
an le him towar the open grave" M# father coul tell that his eDecutioner was run/"
Off to one sie& he coul see a !erman officer ta/ing pictures of the operation" Even as
he was le forwar towar the grave& he coul not %elieve that he as a%out to ie" <s he
was pushe towar the grave he stum%le an fell forwar towar the grave" <t the
instant that the trippe& a shot rang out as the run/en Bithuanina fire the %ullet meant
to /ill him" 9t misse" M# father fell to the groun just in front of the grave an la# still"
.is eDecutioner thought he was ea an went %ac/ to the truc/ for his neDt victim" Eor
the neDt several hours m# father la# perfectl# still& terrifie %ut unharme" truc/ after
truc/ rove up& an their occupants were shot" The %oies of other eDecute men soon
covere m# father: he was renche in their %loo" Some of the 0ews were not ea:
moans an cries came from the mass grave" .aving shot approDimatel# 35 truc/loas
of victims& the machine guns were turne aroun an fire into the grave in orer to
finish off the woune" 9n spite of the fusillae of %ullets aroun him& perhaps %ecause
the %oies on top of him protecte him& m# father was unharme"
<fter a time& all %ecame @uiet" M# father arose to fin the !ermans an Bithuanians
gone" <ll the 0ews l#ing in an aroun the mass grave were ea" 9ncrei%l#& he was
alive an totall# unscathe> The area aroun the grave was surroune %# %ar%e wire:
m# father ran own the roa towar the gate that the truc/ ha entere upon arriving at
Ponar#" The gate was guare %# two soliers& who soon spotte him" One fire a shot
at him& %ut he uc/e own an ran %ac/ to the mass grave" M# father was fille with
panic" .e was sure the guars woul soon come loo/ing for him" .e was esperate to
escape this horri%le place %efore the# coul fin an shoot him" .e %egan to ig
franticall# uner the %ar%e wire with his hans" .aving mae a shallow hole uner the
%ar%e wire& he swueeze unerneath the frence& ripping clothes an cutting his %ac/ as
he passe" .e leapt to his feet an ran into the woos" .e ran on an on& an after a
time he came to a smnall hut occupie %# a Polish peasant famil#" Stum%ling into their
home cr#ing h#stericall#& he tol them what ha just happene to him" .e oes not
/now whether the# %elieve him& %ut sa#s the# were /in to him nonetheless" The#
helpe him wash off the %loo an gore that covere him an gave a new shirt to wear"
The# then showe him the wa# %ac/ to ,ilna" 9n a aze& he then wal/e all a# %ac/ to
his parents$ aparement in the cit#"
Cpon his return home& he immeiatel# tol his parents an his 0ewish neigh%ours a%out
his eDperience& warning them that the *azis were /illing innocent 0ews the# pic/e up
off the street" Ahile his mother an father %elieve his tale& the niegh%ours in the
surrouning apartments i not" The# thought he ha gone insane an %ecome
p#schotic" "" -F*iemencz#n"
luwigs%urg& 214 <' 332G63 Trial of +arl 0aeger 3256 trial transcript
Huic/lens orer <C321233311;3;46